Axminster type carpet and method for making the same



Feb. 19, 1963 w. 'r. HARRISON El'AL AXMINSTER TYPE CARPET AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 4, 1960 Feb. 19, 1963 w. T. HARRISON ETAL 3,077,906

AXMINSTER TYPE CARPET AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Filed Oct. 4, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,077,906 AXMINSTER TYPE CARPET AND METHOD FUR MAKING THE SAW Wayne T. Harrison, Granby, and Raymond J. Carrigan, Thompsonville, Conn., assignors to Bigelow-Sanford, Inc, Thompsonviile, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Get. 4, 1950, Ser. No. 60,382 9 Claims. (Cl. 139-499) The present invention relates to the manufacture of carpets and rugs and more particularly to an improved Axminster-type carpet and to a method and apparatus for the manufacture of same. The present application is a continuation-in-part of our prior application Serial No. 59,559, filed September 30, 1960 entitled AXminster Type Carpet and Method and Apparatus for Making the Same, now abandoned.

Axminster carpet, as conventionally manufactured, is made by tying into an appropriately formed backing of warps and wefts a series of individual pile tufts. A separate spool of pile yarn is introduced for each weftwise row of pile, and when a row has been formed the pile yarns are cut and the spool returned to the spool supply, to be replaced by a new spool of pile yarn for the next row. The pile so formed typically consists of cut tufts, as distinguished from pile loops. When broadloom is being manufactured, a plurality of these yarn spools are linked together across the loom to form a weftwise row of pile.

An object of the invention is to provide a modified Axminster-type carpet loom for forming pile loops, in addition to the conventional Axminster pile tufts.

A further object is to provide a novel and improved Axminster-type carpet containing pile loops.

A further object is to provide an AXrninster-type carpet wherein the pile surface is made up of both loops and tufts, in accordance with a pattern.

A further object is to provide a carpet weaving method of the Axminster-type for forming pile loops from the pile yarns.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of presently preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in vertical cross-section, of an Axminster-type carpet loom in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view to an enlarged scale of the spool transfer arm of the loom of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detail side view of the spool transfer arm, partly broken away;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic warpwise sectional views of the fabric at the weaving point illustrating successive steps of the weaving process of the invention, and;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a carpet embodying the invention, the spacing between the yarns being exaggerated for clarity of illustration.

In accordance with the invention we have devised a novel procedure for manipulating the pile inserting apparatus of an Axminster type loom, in combination with certain modifications of the binder warp shedding and other loom motions whereby the pile yarn ends protruding from the tubes of the tube frame can be formed into pile loops effectively bound into the carpet backing. The invention provides also a modified AXminster-type carpet backing which, as far as we are aware, is of novel construction.

The Axminster-type loom of the invention may be of any conventional construction with the addition thereto of means whereby the tube frames at the point where they are introduced into and positioned in the shed, may be given a bodily motion backward and forward of the loom, that is, in the direction warpwise of the carpet which is being woven.

The novel Axminster carpet resulting from the practice of the method of the invention is characterized by the presence therein of pile which is, at least in part, in the form of loops as distinguished from out tufts.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1, the loom selected for purposes of illustration and disclosure is, in general organization and construction, a conventional Axminstertype loom. The loom maybe generally of the construction shown in the Holland Patent No. 1,898,988 or the Cooper Patent No. 1,953,044. The main frame comprises a side frame 2 connected by cross grits 4 to a second similar side frame, not shown. Between the side frames extends the breast beam 6, across which the woven fabric 8 is drawn from the fell or weaving point by a spike roll 16'. Binder warps i2, 12', lead forwardly from conventional warp beams, not shown, through conventional heddles, not shown, to the fell. The wefts are inserted into the sheds formed of the binder warps by means of the usual Axrninster needle as a double weft shot, as is conventional.

The pile yarns are supplied from .a series of tube frames 14 of conventional construction which are brought in succession to a position above the weaving point by means of an endless carrier chain 16. Each tube frame includes a spool 18, on which the pile yarns are wound, and a transverse series of tubes 20, one for each longitudinal course of the carpet, from each of which a pile yarn end 22 projects. The tube frames 14 are taken from the chain 16 and introduced into the sheds and manipulated therein for the formation of the pile by means of a pair of spool arms 24, to be described in more detail below.

When the pile formed with a given tube frame has been completed, the pile yarns are severed by means of knives 26, 28 and the tube frame returned to the chain by the spool arms. 7

The loom includes the usual lay 36, with reed 32, pivoted on cross-shaft 34 for movement to and from the fell to beat the wefts into the woven fabric.

The novel spool arm and associated mechanism are shown in more detail in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. One only of the spool arms is shown in the drawing. It will be understood that the other arm, at the opposite side of the loom is of similar construction. The spool arm support 36 is keyed to a transverse shaft 39 for upward and downward swinging movement. The spool arm 24 is mounted for forward and backward sliding movement and for side to side swinging movement on the support 36. For this purpose a cage 38 of generally oblong form is disposed on an upper fiat surface of the support 36 for pivotal movement about the axis of a stud 40 passing vertically through the support 36 and having the nut 42 and locknut 44 on its upper end to permit removal of the cage 38. The sidewise swinging movement of spool arm 24 is effected by a pull rod 46 in conventional manner. The other spool arm (not shown) is simultaneously moved, in the opposite direction; whereby the clutches 48 carried at the forward ends of the arms 24 are separated, when the spool arms are in raised position, to embrace a tube frame 14 on the chain 16 and the clutches 48 then moved toward each other to grasp the tube frame and hold it in position between the clutches 48 as the spool arm 24 is manipulated to detach the tube frame from the chain, lower it to the weaving position and manipulate it as desired.

The arm 24 carries eight rollers 50 rotatable on transverse axles 52 and running on fiat surfaces inside the cage 38 to permit the novel forwardand backward move- Patented Feb. 19, 1963 ment of the spool arms 24 and thusof the tube frame held in the clutches 4-8. The arm 24 is provided with an elongated opening 54 of a transverse width to snugly receive bushing 56 on stud 40. Forward and backward movement of the spool arm 24 is controlled by a cam 58 (FIG, 1) on the main shaft 60. Cam 58 moves cam follower roll 62 to cause pivotal movement on cam lever 64 about its fixed pivot 66 on the loom frame. Through pull rod 67 the cam lever 64 imparts rocking movement to transverse shaft 68 and, correspondingly to the arm '70 fixed thereto. The lower end of arm 7b is connected to thearm 24 to movethe arm 24 forwardly and backwardly, through a link 72 having ball-joint connections toarm 7t and arm 24.

The loom further includes conventional means for rocking the tube frame clutches 48 about aztransverse horizontal axis. Such means in the loom illustrated includes a rock shaft 74 connected through arm 76 and link 78 to the clutch 48.

Referring now to the diagrams of FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, the method of the invention will he described. FIGS. 5, 6, 7', 8 and 9 illustrate successive phases in the weaving operation. Referring to FIG. 5, a first shed is formed of the binder warp 12 and the binder warp 12, as shown. The tube frame 14, having been taken from the chain by the clutch arrnwhiie the spool arm 24 is in its for-ward position, is lowered toward the weaving point and during this movement the tube frame is tipped or rocked about atransversehorizontal axis so that the tube ends are moved forwardly and the tubes are disposed at an angle to the-vertical whereby the ends of the pile yarn 22 protruding from the tubes of the tube frame 14- fall against the last row of pile tufts 80 as the tubes are en tered between the binder warp threads of the warps (as seen in FIG. As the tubes pass between the warp threads the tube frame is moved rearwardly by the cam 58 with the tubes at said angle. Clutch 4% is rocked about a transverse horizontal axis to tip the tubes to a substantially vertical position as the tube frame completes its move rearwardly. When the tubes are in the position shown in FIG. 5 a first-weft shot 82-is inserted in the first shed above the pile yarn 22 and with the pile yarn located between the shot 82 and the last-formed pile element 36, asshown.

The tube frame is thenraised to lift the tubes out of the shed (FIG. 6) looping the pile yarn 22 about the weft shotj8-2. The shed is thenciosed, the lay comes forward to beat theweft shot 82 to the fell, and a second shed is formed. As the tube frame is raised fromthe shed it is moved forwardly and the dip arm 78 may be moved forwardly at the same time so that there is substantially no rockingmovement'ofthe tubes about a transverse hori' zontal axis.

The combed, conventional in Axminster looms, is then put out and put up, FIG. 7. Thereafter, the same tube frame is moved rearwardly by the cam 58 (the pile yarns not having been cut) and ismoved downwardly to introduce, the tubes and pile yarns between the binder warp threads of the second shed, FIG. 8. The portions of the pile yarns between the weft shot 82 and the tubes of the tube frame, that is portions adjacent the weft shot 8-2, are held up out of the shed and above the binder warp threads by the comb as the tube frame descends into the second shed. A second weft shot 88 is then inserted into the second shedabove the pile yarn 22. The portions of the pile yarns which are being held above the binder warp threads are located between the weft shot $2 and the weft shot 88 and form the row of pile loops 86.

The tube frame is then raised out of the shed, FIG. 9, looping the pile yarn about the weft 8-8, and the knives 26, 28 are brought'together to sever all of the pile yarns, leaving an upstanding row of pile tufts 90. The comb is lowered.

The second shed is closed and the lay moves forwardly to beatthe second weftshot-SS to the fell. A third shed is formed and a third weft shot 92 is inserted into that shed. The third shed is closed and the third weft beaten up. In the meantime the tube frame has been moved forwardly by the cam 58. The spool arm in its forward position will be raised to return the tube frame to the chain 1 5 and to take a new tube frame from the chain to be used in the succeeding cycle of the weaving operation.

It will be understood that appropriate dip or rocking movements are imparted to the tube frame by the dip arm 78 as and if required to provide clearances for the weft inserting needle, the lay, etc., all as is well understood by those skilled in the art.

The described operations of shed-forming, weft-inserting, beating, pile cutting and motions of the tube frame and comb are repeated in the order described in successive weaving cycles to form the completed pile carpet.

As appears in FIG. 10, the binder warp threads are shedded in three successive different sheds. The binder warp thread 94 is in the lower shed line for the insertion of the first and second weft shots 82 and S8 and in the upper shed line for the insertion of the third weft shot 92. Its companion binder warp thread 96 is in the lower shed line for the insertion of the first and third weft shots 82 and )2 and in the upper-shed line for the insertion of the second weft shot 88. The thirdbinder warp thread Q8 of the set of three is in the upper shed line for the inser tion of the first weft shot 82 and in the lower shedline for the insertion of the secondand thirdweft'shots 38 and 92.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail this has been done only for the purpose of disclosure of the invention and not by way of limitationof the invention to this particular, specific em.- bodiment. Thus the carpet may be provided with outs," that is, pile positions in which'there is no pile loop or tuft. Such outs may be arranged in the well-known check-and-check pattern so that when a weftwise row is beaten up, loops and tufts will, in effect, he brought into the same row of piie to break up the rowiness of the pattern.

The tubes of the tube frames may, after the formation of a row of pile as described, be so introduced into the shed that the tubes enter between different binder yarn threads than those they entered between in the formation of the immediately preceding row of pile, so that the pile loops or tufts in the same pile yarn will be staggered weftwise of the fabric, again breaking up the rowiness, and distributing the colors to give a better textured effect to the pile surface.

The comb may be formed with different heights of teeth, the lower teeth forming lower or shorter pile loops than the higher teeth. The comb may be providedwith mechanism for osciliating it transversely of the loom to break up streaks due to the different heights of the pile loops-so formed.

It will be appreciated that the loom maybe adjusted so that it will weave successive rows of pile loops by repeating as desired the described operations for weaving a row of pile loops.

The heights of the tuftsand theheights of the loops may differ. The height of the loops can be adjusted by appropriate adjustment of the comb put-up motion and the height of the tufts, as is well known, can be adjusted by appropriate change of the draw-off cam and the knives 26, 28.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other and further modifications of the described weaving steps and the described arrangement of the pile loops and tufts can be made by the application of routine skill and knowledge of the art without departure from the invention.

We claim:

1. The steps in a method of weaving an Axminstertype carpet-which comprise forminga-first shed of binder warps, introducing pile yarns between the binder warp threads of the shed with their free ends disposed at the tell of the fabric, inserting a first weft shot into the first shed above the pile yarns and with the free end portions of the pile yarns located between the first weft shot and the fell, looping the pile yarns about said first weft shot and beating the first weft shot to the fell, forming a second shed of said binder warps, introducing the pile yarns between the binder warp threads of the second shed without having cut the pile yarns, while supporting above the binder warps a portion of the pile yarns adjacent said first weft shot, inserting a second weft shot into the second shed above the pile yarns and with said supported portions of the pile yarns located between the second weft shot and the first weft shot, and repeating said steps to form an Axrninster type carpet.

2. The steps in a method of weaving an Axminstertype carpet which comprise forming a first shed of binder warps, introducing pile yarns between the binder warp threads of the shed with their free ends disposed at the fell of the fabric, inserting a first weft shot into the first shed above the pile yarns and with the free end portions of the pile yarns located between the first weft shot and the fell, looping the pile yarns about said first weft shot and beating the first weft shot to the fell, forming a second shed of said binder warps, introducing the pile yarns between the binder warp threads of the second shed without having cut the pile yarns, while supporting above the binder warps a portion of the pile yarns adjacent said first Weft shot, inserting a second weft shot into the second shed above the pile yarns and with said supported portions of the pile yarns located between the second weft shot and the first weft shot, looping the pile yarns about said second weft shot, and cutting said pile yarns above the binder warp threads, thereby forming pile tufts and loops.

3. The steps in a method of weaving an Axminstertype carpet which comprise forming a first shed of binder warps, introducing pile yarns between the binder warp threads of the shed with their free ends disposed at the fell of the fabric, inserting a first weft shot into the first shed above the pile yarns and with the free end portions of the pile yarns located between the first weft shot and the fell, looping the pile yarns about said first weft shot and beating the first weft shot to the fell, forming a second shed of said binder warps, introducing the pile yarns between the binder warp threads of the second shed without having cut the pile yarns, while supporting above the binder warps a portion of the pile yarns adjacent said first weft shot, inserting a second weft shot into the second shed above the pile yarns and with said supported portions of the pile yarns located between the second weft shot and the first weft shot, looping the pile yarns about said second weft shot and beating the second weft shot to the fell, cutting said pile yarns above the binder warp threads, forming a third shed of said binder warps, inserting a third weft into said third shed and beating said third weft to the fell, and repeating said steps to form an Axminster type carpet containing alternate rows of pile loops and intermediate rows of pile tufts.

4. Those steps in the weaving of an AXminster-type carpet which comprise forming a shed of binder warp threads, introducing pile yarns between the binder warp threads of the shed and inserting a first weft shot into the shed above the pile yarns, looping the pile yarns about the first weft shot, forming a second shed of the said binder warp threads, introducing the pile yarns between the binder warp threads of the second shed while supporting a portion of the pile yarns above the binder warp threads, and inserting a second weft shot into the second shed above the pile yarns and with said supported portions of the pile yarns located between said first and second weft shots.

5. An Axminster-type carpet comprising binder warp threads interwoven with double weft shots to form a carpet backing, and pile yarns looped below two successive weft shots and raised therebetween in a loop to provide pile, said pile comprising both pile loops and pile tufts, the yarn which forms a loop also forming two tufts, one on each side of said loop.

6. An AXrninster carpet comprising binder warp threads interwoven with double weft shots to form a carpet backing, pile yarns looped below two successive weft shots and raised therebetween in a loop to form weftwise rows of pile, certain of said rows being composed of pile loops and others of said rows composed of pile tufts, the yarns which form a row of loops also forming tufts at each side of the loop.

7. An Axminster-type carpet comprising binder warp threads interwoven with double weft shots to form a carpet backing, pile yarns looped below two successive weft shots and raised therebetween to form weftwise rows of pile, alternate weftwise rows being composed of pile loops and the intermediate rows composed of pile tufts, some of the tufts of an intermediate row being looped about one weft shot and other tufts of the same intermediate row being looped about a different weft shot.

8. An Axminster-type carpet comprising a plurality of double wefts, a plurality of binder warp threads interwoven with said wefts to form a carpet backing, and a pile surface extending above said backing and consisting of a plurality of separate relatively short lengths of pile yarn interwoven with said wefts, each of said lengths of pile yarn being woven under two and only two adjacent wefts with its intermediate portion extending upwardly above the carpet backing between said two adjacent wefts to form a pile loop, and with each of its end portions extending upwardly above the carpet backing as a pile tuft, one of said pile tufts extending upwardly from the carpet backing at the side of one of said two adjacent wefts which is opposite said pile loop and the other of said pile tufts extending upwardly from the carpet backing at the side of the other of said two adjacent wefts which is opposite said pile loop, certain weftwise rows of pile being composed of pile loops and other weftwise rows of pile being composed of pile tufts.

9. The carpet of claim 8 wherein said pile yarns are disposed in warpwise courses with a weft disposed between successive pile tufts of adjacent yarns in the same course.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,804,008 Greaves et al May 5, 1931 1,822,478 Cooper Sept. 8, 1931 1,968,003 Shaw et al July 24, 1934 1,986,294 Shuttleworth Jan. 1, 1935 1,989,535 Stoltzenberg Jan. 29, 1935 1,991,179 Shuttleworth Feb. 12, 1935 2,250,901 Baynton July 29, 1941 2,372,758 Bixby Apr. 3, 1945 2,745,422 Herrnstadt May 15, 1956 2,751,937 Linscott June 26, 1956 2,884,019 Karpofi Apr. 28, 1959 2,946,350 Worth July 26, 1960 2,946,355 Worth July 26, 1960 2,954,805 Wilkesmann Oct. 4, 1960 3,027,919 Matthews et al Apr. 3, 1962 

1. THE STEPS IN A METHOD OF WEAVING AN AXMINSTERTYPE CARPET WHICH COMPRISE FORMING A FIRST SHED OF BINDER WARPS, INTRODUCING PILE YARNS BETWEEN THE BINDER WARP THREADS OF THE SHED WITH THEIR FREE ENDS DISPOSED AT THE FELL OF THE FABRIC, INSERTING A FIRST WEFT SHOT INTO THE FIRST SHED ABOVE THE PILE YARNS AND WITH THE FREE END PORTIONS OF THE PILE YARNS LOCATED BETWEEN THE FIRST WEFT SHOT AND THE FELL, LOOPING THE PILE YARNS ABOUT SAID FIRST WEFT SHOT AND BEATING THE FIRST WEFT SHOT TO THE FELL, FORMING A SECOND SHED OF SAID BINDER WARPS, INTRODUCING THE PILE YARNS BETWEEN THE BINDER WARP THREADS OF THE SECOND SHED WITHOUT HAVING CUT THE PILE YARNS, WHILE SUPPORTING ABOVE THE BINDER WARPS A PORTION OF THE PILE YARNS ADJACENT SAID FIRST WEFT SHOT, INSERTING A SECOND WEFT SHOT INTO THE SECOND SHED ABOVE THE PILE YARNS AND WITH SAID SUPPORTED PORTIONS OF THE PILE YARNS LOCATED BETWEEN THE SECOND WEFT SHOT AND THE FIRST WEFT SHOT, AND REPEATING SAID STEPS TO FORM AN AXMINSTER TYPE CARPET. 